From: bliss@sfo.com   
      
   On 05/09/2010 07:38 AM, Ansgar -59cobalt- Wiechers wrote:   
   > B Sellers  wrote:   
   >> Oishinbo  Japanese Cuisine   
   >> Art by Akira Hanasaki   
   >> Story by Testu Kariya   
   >> Published by Viz   
   >>   
   >>         Ostensibly the story of a contest between two newspapers to   
   >> chose either ones "Supreme Menu" or the others "Ultimate Menu" this is   
   >> the story of a father-son conflict acted out in the restaurants and   
   >> banquet halls of Japan.   
   >   
   > Actually it's a story about Japanese food before anything else.   
   >   
   >>         I was lucky enough to find two volumes one concerned with   
   >> Japanese Cuisine in general and the other with Fish, Sushi and Sashimi   
   >> at the SF Public Library today about 1030.  I spent most of the   
   >> afternoon reading them.  They really hold your attention and all the   
   >> recipes are real.  I think that Viz has about 7 volume of these and   
   >> had I the cash to spare I would hie me out to the Kinokuniya manga   
   >> shop in San Francisco and buy them all.   
   >   
   > Yes, it's 7 volumes up to now:   
   >   
   > - Japanese Cuisine   
   > - Sake   
   > - Ramen&  Gyoza   
   > - Fish, Sushi&  Sashimi   
   > - Vegetables   
   > - The Joy of Rice   
   > - Izakaya - Pub Food   
   >   
   > The presentation of food and cooking is really enjoyable, the characters   
   > are interesting, and the storytelling is quite entertaining. I didn't   
   > like the character designs too much, though. And at some points the   
   > story gets a little confusing, because instead of publishing the   
   > original series VIZ thematically grouped selected chapters into volumes.   
   > Due to this decision several chapters in later volumes take place before   
   > chapters in earlier volumes. The translation notes help establishing the   
   > proper context, but it's still somewhat confusing.   
      
   		Well Japanese Cuisine is the background because the father   
   is a demon gourmet and the son is in total rebellion because of the   
   father's mistreatment of the mother who I have yet to see.   
   	The food is an important part of the series certainly and each dish   
   offers the opportunity for conflict between father and son over the   
   the best recipe.   
      
   	Viz has pulled the same trick here as they did in the original   
   graphic novel publication of Maison Ikkoku of editing the original   
   story in ways that suited their perceptions.  Maybe they will get the   
   same excuse to re-issue Oishinbo in a proper order in the second   
   series.   
      
   >   
   > A point worth noting is that the contest between "Ultimate Menu" and   
   > "Supreme Menu" is not depicted as some martial arts tournament (which is   
   > something that really annoyed me about "Yakitate!! Japan"). It's more   
   > like a battle of knowledge/wits who is able to bring out the best taste   
   > in food.   
   >   
   > cu   
   > 59cobalt   
      
   	Thanks for your comments and I believe that despite its faults   
   that Oishinbo is worth the reading.  As for the mess Viz makes of the   
   story that accounts for the lines about the son's marriage to a fellow   
   worker which has taken place in another volume.   
      
   	later   
   	bliss   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)